AN amended application for the conversion of an annex at the Three Salmons Hotel in Usk has been approved despite the removal of affordable housing and Section 106 contributions from the conditions.

The amended application is for the conversion of the existing hotel annex into five dwellings, the demolition of adjacent workshops and the erection of three new single story dwellings.

The application was originally approved in January 2016 for the conversion of the annex into seven dwellings instead of five.

This was approved subject to four of the seven dwellings being marketed as affordable housing and the contribution of £3,132 per dwelling to the Usk Play Park Regeneration Project.

These conditions were removed as, according to the planning committee’s report, “the applicant has now demonstrated that the development will not be economically viable”.

At Monmouthshire County Council’s (MCC) planning committee, development services manager, Phil Thomas said the housing strategy and policy officer had looked at the applicant’s viability assessment and “unfortunately” came to the conclusion that the conditions could not stay.

He said: “We have reluctantly agreed that this is the outcome of the proposal. Occasionally we will get sites like this where because of abnormal costs, in this case its demolition, sprinkler provision and the conversion of a listed building it means the scheme wouldn’t be viable.”

Speaking at the planning committee councillor Phil Murphy said: “I am quite prepared to accept what the officer says with this site but I ought to make a more general point that this is becoming more and more of a problem as sites come forward.”

“Abnormals and various other issues particularly the requirement to put sprinklers in is adding a massive burden on these small sites and impacting on the ancillary stuff like the Section 106. It is a great pity but not enough to turn it down.”